Biden Reveals 'Additional Sanctions on Russia' During Europe Tour... EU Energy Support Plan Also Announced

Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] U.S. President Joe Biden will announce additional sanctions against Russia on the 24th (local time) during his European tour along with allied countries. Support measures to reduce the European Union's (EU) dependence on Russian gas are also expected to be unveiled.

According to the White House, Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Advisor, stated at a briefing on the 22nd, "President Biden will join partners in imposing additional sanctions on Russia and strengthening existing sanctions."

Sullivan said, "There will be new sanction designations and targets," adding, "Much of it involves effective enforcement and crackdowns on evasion, applying lessons learned from other situations where we previously imposed sanctions." He explained that there will be a firm joint effort to crack down on countries and attempts that help Russia weaken or evade sanctions.

This is interpreted as referring to Belarus, which has been suggested as a possible participant in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and China, which has been requested for military and economic support by Russia. Earlier, President Biden warned Chinese President Xi Jinping during a roughly 110-minute call that there would be serious consequences if China supports Russia.

President Biden will depart for Brussels, Belgium, on the afternoon of the 23rd to discuss NATO-level responses to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He plans to attend the NATO summit followed by the Group of Seven (G7) meeting to discuss sanctions against Russia with other leaders and will also visit Poland, where many Ukrainian refugees have gathered. This is Biden's first visit to Europe since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the 24th of last month.

During this visit, President Biden will also coordinate responses in case Russia resorts to cyberattacks, biological weapons, or nuclear weapons. Additionally, Sullivan confirmed that a joint action plan will be announced to help the EU reduce its dependence on Russian energy. Further U.S. support measures to alleviate the humanitarian conditions of the Ukrainian people and refugees will also be revealed.

Along with this, Sullivan said, "We want to discuss issues related to China with the EU before the EU-China summit on April 1," adding, "We share the same position and will speak with one voice on this matter." There is also a possibility of strong messages targeting China from the EU and NATO regarding the Ukraine situation.

Regarding the possibility of China providing military and economic support to Russia, he said, "It is unpredictable," but added, "After the call between President Biden and President Xi, we have not confirmed that China has supplied military equipment to Russia. We will continue to monitor."

On the same day, Sullivan pointed out that Russia has failed to achieve any of its initial objectives in the invasion of Ukraine. He criticized that although Russia intended to subjugate Ukraine, this has not happened so far, and while Russia tried to demonstrate its power, its influence has rather diminished. He also added that the alliance between the U.S. and its allies has not weakened.

He emphasized, "We will continue to provide weapons to Ukraine," and "We will impose harsh sanctions on Russia to make it pay a severe price for waging an unjust war."